Isle of Palms Winter/Spring 2019-20

23 www.IsleOfPalmsMagazine.com | www.ILoveIOP.com | www.IOPmag.com “If you read the newspaper, listen to the radio, watch TV … child abuse is rampant in the Lowcountry and South Carolina, as it is throughout the United States. We try to educate the community, and we pick agencies that really work to educate parents,” explained Grantham, former president of the National Exchange Club. “These children are our future. We want to break the cycle, but it’s tough.” One-hundred percent of the sponsorship money raised each year goes directly to local organizations. The registration money funds the race. Grantham’s humblest appreciation goes to Dockery’s, who will be the event’s three-year sponsor for 2019, 2020 and 2021. Beneficiaries of the run include Lowcountry Orphan Relief, Dee Norton Center, HALOS, CAPA of Beaufort, Darkness to Light, Carolina Youth Development Center and Windwood Farms. The Town of Mount Pleasant and the City of Isle of Palms, partners in the run, also receive funding for their recreation departments. “They all do such great things,” stated Grantham, noting that the IOP Exchange Club hosts a dinner for the recipients, where they are presented with a check and share stories of how the funds will be used. ”HALOS collects clothes and backpacks, and, when a child is taken out of the home for whatever reason, they are often taken out with nothing,” explained Grantham. “HALOS steps in and gives them a backpack with school supplies and a change or two of clothes. To see the smiles on those children’s faces … all this work really feels worth it.” The community rallies around the mission, too. “One “I ended up getting under his shoulder, and we crossed the finish line together.” Runners pound the pavement at the Isle of Palms Connector Run.